Picture

Here is a picture I took a day after the storm.

Day 7 - Discovering the Writer Within

Discovering the Writer Within by Ballenger & Lane. It’s a 40 day program to exercise your creativity and imagination. I’m giving a general feel for the assignment and a little bit of what I accomplished.

Day 7: Another cluster, but this time you had to pick a nucleus word from a list they gave. Evaluate how I cluster. Were my thought linear or all over the place. Then I was suppossed to go outside and get a rock and examine it then make a list of description and what I think of.

I say suppossed to because the ground is covered in ice from a storm we had two days ago. I'm going to need this for Day 8 so I'm hoping when I go to work (which is down two mountains - no ice) I'll be able to find a rock. Hopefully, my co-workers won't think I've lost it.

Day 6 - Discovering the Writer Within

Discovering the Writer Within by Ballenger & Lane. It’s a 40 day program to exercise your creativity and imagination. I’m giving a general feel for the assignment and a little bit of what I accomplished.

Day 6: Clustering: Put a word in the center of a blank page. Free associate branches of words fanning out from the center. If a word triggers it - branch off from that word. Evaluate. Pick a strand of thought and free write for 10 minutes. The purpose of these assignments is help you face a blank page and the dredge up memories, feelings, and details that you have forgotten.

I free associated from the word BEACH and chose funnel cakes to free write.
Here is a best of what I wrote:

Smell of fried dough
mingled with the
scents of salt and Coopertone

Ocean Breezes
an accessory to the
crime I was to commit

Perhaps the diet police
would take a bribe
and let me eat.

I had to push myself to do this assignment, but I’m glad I did. See you tomorrow for Day 7.

Day 5 - Discovering the Writer Within

Discovering the Writer Within by Ballenger & Lane. It’s a 40 day program to exercise your creativity and imagination. I’m giving a general feel for the assignment and a little bit of what I accomplished.

Day 5: Pick a room you remember from childhood. Picture it and list all the details you can remember for five minutes. Look at your list and pick one item that triggers more memories or filled with meaning. With that as your launch free write for seven minutes.

Here is a best of what I wrote:
Before Guitar Hero and even before the advent of Karaoke there was my stereo. In my room, with brush in hand, the music turned up as loud as my parents could bear, I became the star. Singing, dancing, and twirling about everything disappeared as I created my own world where I was awesome and cool. In reality I wasn’t cool and sadly I couldn’t sing.

I'm going to a holiday party Tuesday night so Day 6 will be posted on Wednesday.

Day 4 - Discovering the Writer Within

Discovering the Writer Within by Ballenger & Lane. It’s a 40 day program to exercise your creativity and imagination. I’m giving a general feel for the assignment and a little bit of what I accomplished.

Day 4: Think about the unforgettable place you wrote about yesterday. Zero in on a one person you remember. Free write for ten minutes about this person.
Here is a best of what I wrote (after revising it that is):

From the Polo Ralph Lauren Barn Jacket to the brand new boots, the silver haired man stuck out like a fully loaded pick-up truck would in the streets of New York City.

Day 5 will have to wait until Monday. I could tell you that Sunday is a day of rest but the real reason is...I left the book at work.

Day 3 - Discovering the Writer Within

Discovering the Writer Within by Ballenger & Lane. It’s a 40 day program to exercise your creativity and imagination. I’m giving a general feel for the assignment and a little bit of what I accomplished.

Day 3: Free write for ten minutes about an unforgettable place you’ve been (far away or close to home).

Here is a best of what I wrote (after revising it that is):
Annual Pilgrimage to the Bethel Farmers Market
With browsing done and purchases made, I make my way to the picnic benches set up haphazardly in front of the bandstand. A country tune filters through the air. I take a bite of my hero. The snap of the sausage casing sounds and sweet, tangy flavors fill my mouth with pure delight. I close my eyes and savor the moment. My eyes open and then I see it. I mean really see it. The rolling hills bursting with colors that seem so impossible. I live here, in this magical place. And realize no matter where I go, no place will be as beautiful as home.

This happen years ago, but I can still remember and feel the joy of this moment. See you tomorrow for Day 4.

Day 2 - Discovering the Writer Within

Discovering the Writer Within by Ballenger & Lane. It’s a 40 day program to exercise your creativity and imagination. I’m giving a general feel for the assignment and a little bit of what I accomplished.

Day 2: Write down 5 childhood memories (positive or negative), pick one that wants to be written about, and free write for ten minutes. Evaluate.

Here is a best of what I wrote (after revising it that is):

I wished for rain. Another sunny day. Another day my newly purchased rain gear would hang in the closet. Made of slick, glossy plastic, colored in stripes of pink, yellow, and green, my raincoat would be a beacon on a cloudy day. With the matching floppy hat, umbrella, and boots, I would be the envy of all.
Unable to resist, I pull the outfit from the closet to try it on. Again. I stroll through the house, twirling the umbrella like a Southern Belle. Then break into a rendition of Singing In the Rain.
I am five. And I wished for rain.

That was fun. See you tomorrow for Day 3.